Booze etc from US
May 18th 2012, 6:44 pm
#16
Lowering the tone
Joined: Mar 2007
Location: Here and there
Posts: 7,346
Re: Booze etc from US
Believe it or not I actually worked at Checkpoint Charlie when the wall was up. It was mainly West Berliners and Allied troops buying the crystal and other stuff at what was then 4 to 1 ratio in the Deutsche Mark. A quick trip to the currency exchange (all highly illegal) cross over and buy the stuff.
Ah the good old days
Ah the good old days
May 18th 2012, 7:23 pm
#17
Dive Bar Drunk
Joined: Nov 2006
Location: Toronto
Posts: 8,648
Re: Booze etc from US
So, off to Niagara and into the US over the weekend. Will be out of Canada less than 24 hours. As we all know, CBSA enforce the rules re tax free allowances entirely randomly and with no attention to the actual law but based on mood. So, my question is, how much booze and clothes can I try to bring back (declaring them) while hoping to not be charged duty?
May 19th 2012, 2:58 am
#18
Forum Regular
Joined: Apr 2012
Location: Whitby, ON
Posts: 119
Re: Booze etc from US
In my experience on shopping trips to Buffalo, they will usually let you off with a couple of hundred dollars worth of shopping - as long as you're honest and admit you've been in the US on a shopping trip for the day. Have your receipts handy for inspection, though, just in case they query anything. If you make their lives easier, they are less likely to bother you.
Booze, on the other hand, seems to be a different story. They always ask if you have any alcohol, which leads me to believe there is less tolerance if you want to take any back across the border.
It amazes me how cheap beer is in the States, though. I've seen 30 packs of beer (nothing special, mind you) for about $13! I also bought a 750 mL bottle of vodka (no name brand, but nothing wrong with it and still full strength) earlier this year in Florida for all of seven bucks!
This might go without saying, but you should also fill up your car with fuel when you're down there. Gas is quite a bit cheaper in the US (although it's annoying always having to prepay for fuel and not knowing how much a fill up costs).
Booze, on the other hand, seems to be a different story. They always ask if you have any alcohol, which leads me to believe there is less tolerance if you want to take any back across the border.
It amazes me how cheap beer is in the States, though. I've seen 30 packs of beer (nothing special, mind you) for about $13! I also bought a 750 mL bottle of vodka (no name brand, but nothing wrong with it and still full strength) earlier this year in Florida for all of seven bucks!
This might go without saying, but you should also fill up your car with fuel when you're down there. Gas is quite a bit cheaper in the US (although it's annoying always having to prepay for fuel and not knowing how much a fill up costs).
May 19th 2012, 10:59 pm
#21
Grumpy Know-it-all
Joined: Jul 2010
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Posts: 8,928
Re: Booze etc from US
So if they strictly adhered to the law then being absent for less than 24 hours means you pay on all purchases being there is no personal exemption for less than 24 hours. Do you prefer they strictly adhere to the law and charge taxes or give travellers a bit of a break if not charging them?
Some of us prefer not to be known as the grocery Police.
Some of us prefer not to be known as the grocery Police.
May 19th 2012, 11:44 pm
#22
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Nov 2011
Location: Somewhere between Vancouver & St Johns
Posts: 19,847
Re: Booze etc from US
Well, that's not the whole story because of NAFTA. Most grocery items are not subject to tax in Canada and being US-source there's no duty either so there is no tax to charge. I give CBSA my receipts at the POE sometimes, some of the grocery items like chocolate are subject to tax but given that it's about 10% of my shopping the tax would be less than $5 so they don't care.
Most CBSA officers will just punch in groceries in the computer as either taxable or not taxable rather than asking do you have more than 6 doughnuts in that package or are the nuts salted or not.
Some might even use this link
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/bsnss/tp.../menu-eng.html
May 19th 2012, 11:49 pm
#23
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Sep 2005
Location: Windsor, ON
Posts: 3,374
Re: Booze etc from US
Any more than a 6-pack and you'll be asked to cough up in my experience.... And whilst you're in there paying for that, you'll have to pay tax on everything else non grocery.... So it's not worth it IMO...
May 19th 2012, 11:52 pm
#24
Grumpy Know-it-all
Joined: Jul 2010
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Posts: 8,928
Re: Booze etc from US
Not an issue in Alberta. When it comes to groceries, either GST or no GST and I've got a pretty good idea what is subject to GST.
May 20th 2012, 5:03 am
#26
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Nov 2011
Location: Somewhere between Vancouver & St Johns
Posts: 19,847
Re: Booze etc from US
Its a bit of a pain even when you go inside with your credit card and they ask you how much do you think it will be for a fill?
I just get the OH to stand there with the card at the till while I fill up.
PITA but thats the US for ya.
May 21st 2012, 10:47 am
#29
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Nov 2011
Location: Somewhere between Vancouver & St Johns
Posts: 19,847
Re: Booze etc from US
Just pass his details to the Pacific Region IBET team Im sure they might follow up There again Oink could be just playing with us but if he was caught with the undeclared booze then his credit card might take a hit to get his vehicle or boat back.
There again Oink could be just playing with us but if he was caught with the undeclared booze then his credit card might take a hit to get his vehicle or boat back.
May 21st 2012, 4:53 pm
#30
Grumpy Know-it-all
Joined: Jul 2010
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Posts: 8,928
Re: Booze etc from US
You just go in and pay at the till, simple as that. Or get a credit card from an American bank and have a US address as the billing address. Which isn't really an issue as you can do it all on-line nowadays, the IRS don't really care about credit cards, but they care if you have a US bank account with a US address on it.